You can also check out ceramics master Yary Livan over at the Craft area of the Lowell Folk Festival. Yary will be demonstrating Khmer ornamental & figurative carving, a skill that is now very rare and at risk of being lost. Stop by and check out his amazing work.

The Lowell Folk Festival is this weekend in our fair city! One component of the festival is Art in the Courtyard, where 20+ artists show off their handmade wares to the thousands of visitors that come through the festival each year. This is a juried show with a great deal of competition, and we are proud of these WAS artists who were accepted to vend in this year’s event!

Ceramic artist Liz Rodriguez makes functional and colorful pieces that would look great in any home. Liz says, “New this year is the mellow yellow glaze – it is a beautiful crackle glaze that is pale yellow but pools amber when thicker. Come check it out!” Liz can currently be found in studio A208, but is soon moving to a new studio space in Somerville.

Jeweler Liz Stewart makes traditional beaded jewelry as well as non-traditional jewelry with hardware. Liz says, “I’ll be showing off some of my new work that fuses more traditional beadwork techniques with the hardware. The pieces are comfortable and subtle, and can be dressed up or down.” Liz is in studio A313.

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Fiber artist Arlette Laan will be returning with her adorable sock dolls. What’s new this year for Arlette? “I will have sock dolls with shorts and flip flops, and rainbow colored Sweeties.” Arlette is in studio 532.

Illustrator Gary Destramp makes fun, colorful illustrations of buildings, restaurants, street scenes, and more. He is a native of Lowell and has made a lot of illustrations of the city, so if you find our city as pretty as he does, be sure to stop by and pick something up. Gary is in studio A508.

Cartoonist Bill Bradbury will be doing his quick draw caricatures this year. Bill is a very friendly guy who does great work in a short period of time. Be sure to stop by and say hello! Bill is in studio 515.

Art in the Courtyard is happening this Saturday from 12-8:30PM and this Sunday from 12-6PM. The event is between the Market Street Stage and the Dutton Street Dance Pavilion, in the courtyard between the brick buildings.

Ceramics artist Liz Rodriguez, jeweler Heather Wang and sock doll artist Arlette Laan will be at Artbeat! in Davis Square, Somerville this Saturday! “ArtBeat is one of the area’s largest and most innovative arts festivals, with over a dozen bands, dance troupes, 75 craft vendors, food and micro-themed activities.”

WAS artist Sergio Bautista is currently showing work as part of “Community of Artists”! This exhibition can be seen at the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham, which is open Wednesday through Sunday – check their website for hours. The show runs through August 4th.
Check the blog early next week for our spotlight on WAS artists participating in the Lowell Folk Festival. Enjoy your weekend!

The Miracle Providers NorthEast are hosting 2 charity silent auctions this Saturday, July 20th! Stop by and give generously – 100% of all money raised goes to help local children and their families infected/affected by HIV/AIDS.

From 11:30AM – 3PM, visit Centro Restaurant and Bar at 24 Market Street in Lowell. Light appetizers will be served, and there will be a cash bar. From 8-11PM, head on up to The Element Lounge at 1055 Elm Street in Manchester, NH! Bring a new unwrapped toy to either location to be entered to win a $50 gift certificate from the hosting venue.

You can RSVP on Facebook if you plan to attend! If you aren’t around this weekend, there will be more chances for you to help. The Miracle Providers will be hosting a charity yard sale in September, and cabaret shows in November.

Jeweler Liz Stewart will be at the Boston Handmade Marketplace on Saturday from 3-7PM! Find her and 20+ other artists at Union Square in Somerville, MA. There will be demonstrations, DIY activities, and music too! Boston Handmade promotes local independent businesses and individuals creating one-of-a-kind and limited edition handmade works in small studio environments.
On Sunday, catch Tracy Levesque at the SoWa Open Market on Harrison Ave in Boston from 10-4!
Also on Sunday, see jeweler Liz Stewart at the Dover Arts Market in the Cocheco Millyard Courtyard in Dover, NH from 9-3!
Sunday from 4-5PM: The Loading Dock Gallery Artist Lecture Series continues this month with “Making Art All Day, Every Day? National Park Residencies” by Michal Truelsen. Michal will share her five week artist residency at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. She will share the experiences and outcome of total immersion in this idyllic setting. She will also give an overview of the NPS artist residency program and explain how to apply for the opportunities at some of the most beautiful places in the US, such as the Grand Canyon, Bar Harbor, Maine, or the Florida Everglades.
Ongoing Exhibitions: Last Chance!

This is the final weekend for “Exposed”, a group photography exhibition being held at The Arts League of Lowell gallery on Market Street. Check out work by WAS photographers Jack Holmes and Kate Ternullo. Weekend hours are Friday and Saturday 12-6, and Sunday 12-4.
Ongoing Exhibitions: Now Showing

This Thursday evening from 6-9PM, head on over to LTC Lowell at 246 Market Street for the Mill City Growsopening reception! See wonderful photographs taken by WAS artist Meghan Moore, and video interviews with gardeners.

Happy 4th of July! Swing by Western Ave Studios on Saturday from 12-5PM for First Saturday Open Studios. Come check out our NEW entryway! It’s pretty snazzy. Oh, and we’ll have some fantastic art to show you as well, but you already knew that.

Western Avenue Studios and Western Avenue Lofts form the largest artist community of our kind on the East Coast, if not the country. Starting with 31 studios and 45 artists on one floor of one building in 2005 we have grown to 245 studios offering work space to more than 280 artists and 50 live/work lofts offering 70 artists the opportunity to live and work in a nurturing and supportive environment.